COLLEGE students took centre stageon Thursday last week when The Gadget Show Live took over a sold-out National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham.

Charlie Simpson, Darren Walker and Chris Shaw took up Formula Gravity legend David Ackroyd’s challenge by building a gravity racing car against the clock on the second day of the four-day event which usually attracts a total of 60,000 visitors.

They were in friendly competition against other colleges and schools who did their bit on the other days.

Technician Keith Large, who accompanied the trio along with motor vehicle lecturer Carolyn Brian, said: “It was fantastic experience for them to be working against the clock in such exalted company and in front of such a big audience.”

Charlie is on a BTEC motor vehicle course and has been involved in the Gravity Racer theatre project promoting engineering in local primary schools.

Darren and Chris are both year two national diploma engineering students working on a gravity racer to race at Mallory Park.” Mr Large added: “David had a memento book with him about half of which was devoted to his work with us at Loughborough College.

“It was fantastic publicity for the College with large numbers of visitors viewing the Lotus Eater, which was manufactured here.”